The Peloponnesian War was a struggle between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta that took place between 431 and 404 B.C.E. and resulted in the destruction of Athens. After more than a thousand years, Greece’s golden age came to an end with the outbreak of war. As the city-states flourished, a fierce rivalry emerged between Athens and Sparta. The Spartans enlisted friends to form the Peloponnesian League, and together they launched an attack on the Athenian Empire, which had been growing strength at the time. Essentially, the fight was divided into three stages: The first of these was the Archidamian War, so named after Archidamus, the Spartan king who led the unsuccessful attacks against fortified Athens during the first century BCE. The so-called Peace of Nicias, which was arranged by Athenian politician Nicias, began in 421 and lasted until 425.

However, in 418 and 415 B.C.E., an Athenian commander called for counterattacks against Athens’ aggressors, and the ceasefire was broken once more. The raids against the Peloponnesian League were unsuccessful, and the Ionian War erupted as a result of this failure. A long period of battle culminated in the victory of Sparta in the Ionian War when the Peloponnesian League had not only obtained the backing of Persia in order to destroy Athens, but had also effectively incited Athens’ own subjects to revolt against their rulers. The Peloponnesian War came to an end when Athens submitted to Sparta.